Array
(
[text] =>
Morning light spilled across Est’s dining table, turning everything soft. Steam curled lazily from the rice cooker and the fruit bowl glowed gold.
Est sat where he always did, posture straight, expression neutral, phone in hand — except he wasn’t doing anything neutral at all. He was watching William’s IG story again, thumb hovering like it could memorize every second if it pressed hard enough.
He didn’t smile, but something in his chest pulled warm and tight with every replay. Like pride. Like disbelief. Like hunger for a life he never thought he’d get to have.
Footsteps padded across the floor. A towel landed across William’s shoulders as he slid into the seat beside him, drying his hair in lazy strokes.
“You’re still watching it?” William teased, voice soft like morning bread. He leaned in, invading Est’s space the way only someone fully loved could. “You like it that much?”
Est snapped the phone face-down like he’d been caught doing something scandalous.
“It’s too cheesy,” he muttered, eyes darting anywhere but at him.
“Yet,” William grinned, nudging his knee under the table, “you keep watching it.”
A flush threatened Est’s cheekbones, the kind only William ever coaxed out.
“Of course I do,” he said, tone steady, but his hand on the table curled inward. “It feels good to be reminded I’m loved.”
Said simply. Like it wasn’t an earthquake inside him every single time.
William’s breath hitched. The tenderness hit him first, then the ache — that Est could say something like that without even trying to sound poetic.
He leaned in and pressed a warm, slow kiss to Est’s cheek.
“Thanks for breakfast,” he murmured, like gratitude was something sacred.
Est hummed — just a small sound — but his lips fought a losing battle not to curve. That hum was the sound of a heart trying to stay disciplined and failing. Badly. Lovingly.
__
They drove to campus in comfortable silence, music playing low — not loud enough to fill the space, just enough to soften it. William had one hand on the wheel, the other resting loose on his thigh, fingers tapping lightly to the quiet music playing. Est sat angled toward him.
The air-con hummed, the dashboard lights glowed faint and soft, and the city outside moved without intruding. Inside the car, it was just them — their breath, their warmth, the leftover tenderness from the night before still hanging between them like a blanket.
For a moment, life was uncomplicated.
When they pulled into campus, William put the car in park but didn’t reach for his bag yet. Before either of them spoke, Est touched his wrist, thumb brushing over the faint pulse there.
“Willy,” he said quietly. “Wait.”
William turned to him immediately — that instinctive attention he only ever gave Est.
“Don’t ever change yourself for me,” he said quietly. “Talk to anyone. Make friends. Take gifts if they give them. I trust you.”
William froze because Est was offering him wings instead of a leash.
“Est—”
“No, listen.” Est drew a breath. “People ignored you for years. They avoided you. Now they see you. And you deserve to feel that. To enjoy it.”
There was no jealousy in his voice. Only love disguised as permission. Only maturity sharpened by fear of holding someone too tight.
William’s eyes softened, lashes lowering like he needed a second to steady.
William blinked once, twice, and when he finally spoke his voice was rough around the edges.
“I already have friends,” he said quietly. “And I have you. That’s… enough for me.”
Est snorted and rolled his eyes — sharp, defensive, but the warmth in his chest nearly betrayed him.
“Stop being cheesy again.”
William laughed, helpless and bright, and squeezed Est’s hand like he couldn’t not. “Still. Thank you. Really. It means a lot.”
For a moment, the campus noise faded. It felt like they were suspended in a little pocket of peace.
For a while, it felt like the world agreed to be kind.
Until afternoon.
__
In the library, Tui and William sat side-by-side, highlighters scattered between them, a peaceful rhythm to their silence.
Until a shadow fell over their table.
Hannah stood there, clutching her phone. Shoulders tight, eyes darting between them. Fidgeting.
“Hi, William. Um… I don’t know if you remember me—”
“No,” William said without looking up.
Tui snorted, choking on a laugh.
Hannah blinked, thrown, but forced a smile. “Right. Well… I saw your IG stories last night. And I wanted to apologize if my post the other day caused misunderstandings between you and Est.”
William’s eyes lifted — steady, flat, unreadable.
“I think you should apologize to Est,” he said, voice cool. “Not me.”
Her breath stuttered. “I will. I just— I also came to show you this.”
She turned her phone screen toward him.
A headline screamed in bold:
Golden Boy Est: Fame Gone to His Head?
Anonymous student claims Est Supha rudely confronted her after she bumped into William. Is campus sweetheart Est showing his true colors?
A slow burn lit under William’s ribs. His jaw flexed. His fingers curled around the edge of the table until his knuckles went pale.
Tui leaned over, reading — then swore under his breath. “What the— who wrote this?”
“Fei,” William said, already pushing his chair back. The legs scraped against the floor like a spark being struck. “I’m finding her.”
Tui’s hand wrapped around his arm instantly. “Will. Breathe. If you go right this second—”
William’s jaw worked once. “I don’t care. I’m not letting someone smear him.”
Tui studied him, then sighed — resigned. “Then I’m coming. Because you look like you’re about to murder someone.”
__
They crossed campus fast, tension pacing in William’s shoulders. They found Fei at the quad — laughing with friends like her hands were clean.
“Fei.”
William didn’t shout. He didn’t need to. His voice cut across the space like a blade dragged slow.
Conversation died. Heads turned.
Tui hovered at his side, ready if needed — not to stop him from fighting, but to keep him from burning.
Fei looked up, smile faltering. “William? What—”
“Don’t play dumb,” he said, voice steady. No shout, no crack — just danger wrapped in quiet. “You’re the one behind that article.”
Faces around her shifted, suddenly finding reasons to leave. Her friends melted away, sensing danger.
Fei forced a swallow. “I—he was rude to me—”
“No.” William’s voice cut like clean glass. “You provoked him. You’ve been bumping into me on purpose for weeks. I let it go because it didn’t matter.”
He stepped half a pace closer — not threatening, simply absolute.
“But dragging Est just to get attention? Spreading rumors to paint him as arrogant?” His eyes turned cold. “That’s where I won’t just stand by and do nothing.”
Fei’s lips trembled. “I didn’t think—”
“That’s the problem,” William said. “You didn’t think. And you didn’t care who you hurt.”
He held her gaze, steady and unshaken. “You know the old rumors about me — the ones that turned out to be false. Temper. Fights. Being dangerous.”
A beat.
“Maybe those rumors will come back. They could become true. I might become dangerous.”
He took a slow breath, eyes steady as stone. “Especially when someone tries to hurt Est.”
Fei went still, the reality settling like ice down her spine. The words weren’t loud, but they landed like the promise of violence — calm, inevitable, and real.
Tui crossed his arms, voice even. “You heard him. Fix it. Today.”
Fei stammered, nodding rapidly. “I—I will. I’ll clear it. I’m sorry.”
“And don’t forget to apologize to Est,” William said — colder than anything else he’d said. “Not me.”
She left in a hurry
When she was gone, Tui released a long breath.
“…Will, for a second, I thought you were about to go feral on her.”
William rubbed the back of his neck, tension slowly uncoiling. “I wasn’t going to hit anyone.”
“No, but you stared at her like she owed you her soul,” Tui muttered. “That’s worse.”
William blinked once, slow. “She was trying to hurt him.”
“That’s the part that scares me,” Tui said, but he clapped William’s shoulder. Proud. And a little impressed. “Come on. Let’s go find est before you start pacing.”
William didn’t deny it.
He just walked — fast — because he needed to see Est with his own eyes, to anchor himself again.
And maybe to breathe.
__
Meanwhile, by the pool, Est sat on the bleachers with Dunk, legs dangling over the edge, the late afternoon sun warming their backs. The smell of chlorine hung in the air, splashes echoing in the distance as other swimmers trained.
Dunk nudged him.
“I saw the post,” he sang, grin wicked. “Romantic boyyyyy.”
“Shut up,” Est muttered, but the way his ears turned pink betrayed him.
“It was sweet,” Dunk continued, swinging his feet. “Didn’t know your boyfriend had that in him.”
“Me neither,” Est murmured — and his voice carried pride, and shyness, and the quiet awe. “Anyway, how’s it going with Joong?”
Dunk sighed dramatically, like a prince wronged.
“Well… I can see he’s really sorry. He’s doing everything to show he loves me.”
“So you forgive him?” Est asked.
“I forgive him,” Dunk said, face perfectly serious. “But I’m not telling him yet. Watching him suffer is… therapeutic.”
Est snorted. “You’re evil.”
“He deserves it.”
Their laughter echoed across the pool — light, easy.
Until the coach’s voice cracked through the air.
“EST! Office. Now.”
Est blinked. “What did I do?”
In the office, the coach handed Est his phone, face grim.
“What’s this?”
Est read the article. The headline. The comment noise. The implication.
His stomach sank — he knew exactly whose spark turned into this fire.
“Coach, I—”
A knock cut him off.
“Come in,” the coach said, already tired.
Fei stepped inside clutching her bag like it was armor.
Est’s jaw tightened, breath slow, controlled only because losing it now would prove everything right.
“Umm,” Fei began, voice small but clear. “I’m here to explain everything. I was the one who pushed the story. And… it wasn’t entirely true. I provoked Est, and honestly, his reaction was even calmer than I expected.”
She glanced at Est, guilt obvious but hesitant, like she wasn’t sure she deserved to look.
“I’m sorry, Est. The corrected article will go out tomorrow.”
Est didn’t move, didn’t trust himself to speak too soon. He just nodded once.
Coach exhaled, tension loosening. “Thank you for taking responsibility.”
Fei bowed, then hurried out.
Silence lingered before the coach spoke again, firm but not unkind.
“Control yourself, Est. You’re an athlete. People look up to you.”
“I know,” Est murmured. “William reminds me too.”
Coach’s expression softened. “Good. You can go.”
Est stepped out — and William was already there, leaning against the wall, waiting.
Steady. Quiet. Eyes sharp with worry but softened the second they met Est’s.
Est didn’t think — he just walked into him, arms around him, breathing in the calm that only William seemed able to bring him back to.
“It was you,” Est murmured against his shoulder. “You fixed it. You talked to Fei.”
William pulled back just enough to meet his eyes, shrugging lightly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Est huffed a small laugh, something warm cracking through the tension. “Stop being such a good boyfriend. It makes me feel like I don’t deserve you sometimes.”
William’s face softened, no hesitation.
“Don’t say that. I wouldn’t be this happy if not for you. We protect each other. That’s how it works.”
Est cupped his cheek and kissed him — slow, grateful, full, like every beat of his heart was spilling into it.
When they finally parted, William cleared his throat, trying not to smile too much.
“By the way… Nut’s birthday is coming up. We usually go out of town.”
He paused, nervous in the smallest, sweetest way. “I want to go. But only if you come.”
Est chuckled, forehead resting on William’s.
“A vacation sounds perfect. After all this drama, I think we earned some peace.”
William exhaled, relief softening every line of his face.
“That’s exactly what I thought too.”
___
Note:
I’m so sorry for not updating much lately! I’ve been really busy trying to finish work before I leave again. I’m heading to Bangkok this Friday 🤗
By the way, I wrote a new story called “The Recovery Plan.” If you have time, please check it out! I’ll try to update before I leave… but no promises!
Oh, and how many times have you watched WilliamEst’s new TikTok? Pajamas… all that touching… I’m dead. 🫠🫠🫠
And lastly, stay safe, everyone, and always remember to be kind. 🫶
[text_hash] => bdae6bed
)